Special Topics
Characteristics of a True Buddhist Lay Practitioner
Q: What are upasakas and upasikas? Upasakas and upasikas refer to the male and female lay Buddhist devotees which, together, constitute the two groups of lay Buddhists. Upasaka is a Sanskrit transliteration for a lay male devotee, meaning "he who comes near" to being nobly born son (kula-putra); while Upasika a female devotee, meaning "she who comes near" to being a nobly born daughter (kula-duhitri). The expression "one who comes near," means one who aspires ...
Cultivation for Lay Buddhist Practitioners
As lay practitioners, how do we go about engaging in Buddhist practices? In modern society, we never seem to have enough time, so how do we better manage our time to engage in practice? Through a series of Q&As, let us find out how laypeople can practice Buddhism in daily life. Q: How do lay practitioners keep the precepts? The content of Buddhist precepts is intended to encourage the practitioner to not only abstain from all evil, but also to proactively engage in acts of ben...